Anna Kepner’s death aboard Carnival Horizon cruise ship: timeline
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TITUSVILLE, Fla. — Anna Kepner, an 18-year-old high school senior and college cheerleader, was found dead on a Carnival cruise ship during a family vacation earlier this month, and the cause remains a mystery more than two weeks later.
His remains arrived in Miami when the ship returned to shore two weeks ago Saturday.
His half-brother has since been questioned by the FBI, but no charges have been filed and no official cause of death has been released. His final hours remain a mystery.
Here is the timeline of events:
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Anna Kepner was identified by her family as the deceased passenger on the Carnival Horizon. (Instagram/Anna Kepner)
26-30 October
Anna’s recent TikTok posts hinted at heartbreak and resilience.
“Through every breakup, disrespect, lie, cheating, being used, manipulated, played with, I will always have a smile on my face and a good heart,” she wrote, explaining that she will continue to carry a smile on her face despite the heartache.
In a video she published a few days before she died under unknown circumstances, Anna Kepner wrote that she would endure after a difficult breakup. (@fl.anna18/TikTok)
“I don’t know why I went through what I went through, but I can promise you, I didn’t deserve this at all,” the post continued. “Am I angry at those people for what they did to me? No. Am I upset? Yes.”
His last post on October 30 was much shorter.
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It read, “You deserve to be happy, but if it’s not with me then nvm.”
Her teenage ex-boyfriend later told reporters that she was supposed to go on a deadly road trip with him, but they had broken up beforehand.
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November 2
The family, which included Anna, her father, stepmother and other siblings, including her 16-year-old half-brother, boarded the Carnival Horizon cruise ship in Miami for a six-night Caribbean cruise.
Night of November 6
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Anna did not feel well and left dinner early and returned to her cabin. Daily Mail has been reported previously.
18-year-old Anna Kepner was found dead on the Carnival cruise ship on November 7 while vacationing with her family. (Anna Kepner/Instagram)
7 November
The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office listed Anna’s time of death as 11:17 a.m. on Nov. 7.
He was found dead in his room by a Carnival cleaner, his aunt, Krystal Wright, told Fox News Digital. He was under the bed, wrapped in a blanket and covered in life jackets.
8 November
Carnival Horizon returned to the Port of Miami, also known as PortMiami, and the FBI arrived to investigate Anna’s death.
Their bodies were transferred to the morgue. Investigators questioned his family and others on the ship. However, no arrests were made.
Anna Kepner, her father, stepmother and several siblings in a family photo. (Shauntel Kepner/Facebook)
17 November
Court records have emerged regarding a custody dispute involving Anna’s stepmother, Shauntel Kepner, and her ex-husband, Thomas Hudson.
Both sides named his 16-year-old half-brother as a potential “suspect” in Anna’s death.
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Shauntel’s lawyer asked the court to postpone the upcoming hearing, arguing that if she was forced to testify, it could incriminate her or her son.
Christopher Kepner (center, red hat) arrives at a memorial service for his daughter Anna Kepner at Grove Church on Thursday, November 20, 2025, in Titusville, Florida. The 18-year-old cheerleader was reportedly found dead under a bed at the Carnival Cruise on November 7th. (Mark Sims for Fox News Digital)
20 November
Anna was buried after the memorial ceremony.
Hundreds of mourners gathered at Grove Church in Titusville, Florida, on Thursday to celebrate Kepner’s life.
The guests were greeted with his graduation photos and asked to leave their fingerprints on the poster with his picture.
Chris Donohue arrives at the memorial service for his step-granddaughter Anna Kepner on Thursday, Nov. 20, 2025, at Grove Church in Titusville, Florida. The 18-year-old cheerleader was reportedly found dead under a bed at a Carnival Rides on November 7th. (Mark Sims for Fox News Digital)
A slide show played in the church’s auditorium tracing her life through images that included karate lessons, Disney trips, lake days, beach trips, cheerleader fundraisers and carefree flips in a bounce house.
He loved being on the water and had gotten his boating license before he could drive, according to an online obituary. After high school, he wanted to join the U.S. Navy and eventually become a K-9 police officer.
21 November
A preliminary investigation found evidence that Anna had been strangled to death. ABC News He reported on Friday.
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Fox News Digital has not independently confirmed the report. The official cause and manner of death have not yet been determined, according to the coroner’s office. However, a source with knowledge of the case said that toxicology and other laboratory tests have not yet been completed, but there were bruises on the body.
